School’s out for summer! For most kids, summer break means late nights, no homework, and lots of fun. But for some children, summer break can mean uncertainty about meals. Summer food service programs provide the nutritional bridge between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next. Summer food service programs provide children with free, healthy meals that they would usually get at school. The Nevada Dairy Farmers and Dairy Council of Nevada are committed to helping schools increase participation in their summer food service programs to ensure students return to school in the fall healthy and ready to learn.
Dairy Council of Nevada kicked off the Clark County School District Food Service’s Summer Meal Program on June 4, 2019. More than 250 children and teens came to Silvestri Junior High School STEAM Academy to enjoy barbecue-themed food, games, and prizes donated by the Dairy Council of Nevada. Fuel Up to Play 60 awarded four grants to participating schools ranging from $1,000-2,000, to help expand their summer food service programs. The grant was awarded by the Dairy Council of Nevada to ensure more children have access to healthy meals, including three daily servings of dairy, and regular exercise. As an added treat, Dairy Council of Nevada brought the Rock the Bike smoothie bike, and kids had the opportunity to make healthy, dairy-rich smoothies.
There are 348 schools in Clark County, and last year, more than 300,000 meals were served in Clark County through the summer food service program. In 2017, schools, nonprofits, government agencies and other partners distributed more than 850,000 meals to Nevada children and teens. Nationwide, it’s estimated that summer food service programs provided more than 145 million free meals in 2018. Nutritious meals will be served daily in Clark County until August 9. For more information on Clark County feeding locations, visit CCSDfs.info/summer. If you’re not located in Clark County, you can find information about similar programs at Find Summer Meals in Your Community.
